A former coal baron is donating $1-million to miners protesting in Kentucky after their employer went bankrupt and their paychecks bounced.
Ex-Cumberland Resources Ltd. founder Richard Gilliam said he will give $2 000 apiece to 508 workers waiting to be paid by Blackjewel. Gilliam, who started a charitable foundation with his late wife in 2010 after selling Cumberland, said in an emailed statement that he hopes the money “will act as a bridge” for the miners until they’re paid.